South Africa Wins The Reef ISA World Games

Team South Africa Wins The 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games In Panama

South Africa’s Shaun Joubert Wins the Open Men’s and Australia’s Dimity Stoyle Wins the Open Women’s in Incredible Waves at Santa Catalina

Team South Africa is the new 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games Team Champion. South Africans is the winner of the Fernando Aguerre World Team Champion Trophy, named and donated by the long-time ISA President who was first elected in 1994 and has been diligently working on fulfilling the ISA’s mission of developing the sport of surfing around the world.

Additionally, the Team Champion received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President’s Trophy and the “Copa V Centenario Del Descubrimiento Del Oceano Pacifico,” or 5th Century Cup of the Discovery of the Pacific Ocean. South Africa’s Shaun Joubert is the new Men’s Reef ISA World Surfing Games Champion. With powerful turns and aerial tactics, Joubert earned the Gold Medal.

Australia’s Dimity Stoyle is the new Women’s Reef ISA World Surfing Games Champion. Stoyle earned the Gold Medal with a high scoring wave in the last minutes of her heat.

“This has been a very intense week of waves and hot weather in Panama along with the warmth from the Panamanian people who have welcomed us during this whole time,” remarked ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “I know that at times we didn’t have the waves that we wanted, but being patient with the waves is part of being a good surfer understanding that waves come and go just like in life we have to take the time so we can find the best.”

“To all of you that have come to Panama for this event, I give my warmest congratulations,” continued Aguerre. “Some of you are going to take home medals, most of you won’t, but all of you are champions for having made it to Panama as members of your National Surfing Teams. I hope that all of you will go home as friends of Santa Catalina, Soná and Panama and whenever you think of a surfing vacation in a good destination with warm water and good waves, you think of Panama.” The swell predicted by Surfline, the official forecasters of the event, arrived with clean surf in the chest to head-high range. An onshore breeze picked up in the afternoon, but the waves remained consistent and pumping all day.

The perfect reef break of Santa Catalina allowed the world’s best surfers to compete at their highest potential and fight for the Team Championship and individual Gold Medals. The Final Day started with a long way for the surfers in the Repechage who had to surf up to 3 different heats to make it to the Grand Final.

In the Women’s Repechage, Australia’s Codie Klein had a great start to the day earning 15.27 defeating Dominic Barona (ECU, 9.16) and Kelly Ann Laide (PUR, 5.24). Klein continued to the Grand Final were she got second place earning the Silver Medal. The Women’s Final featured Australia’s Dimity Stoyle, teammate Klein, New Zealand’s Ella Williams and Brazil’s Suelen Naraisa.

Stoyle was in third place until in the last few minutes of the heat, when she posted the heat’s highest single wave score of 9.50, to take the lead and the Gold Medal. In second place, earning the Silver Medal was Klein (AUS, 12.63), followed by Suelen Naraisa (BRA, 12.47) earning the Bronze Medal, and Ella Williams (NZL, 10.83) with the Copper Medal. “It is a such an honor to be on the Australian Team; it means everything to all of us,” said the Gold Medalist, Stolye. “We came here and we just wanted to do it for the team more than for ourselves.”

The Men’s Repechage Final had a nerve-wracking fight for the final two spots in the Grand Final. Australia’s Russell Molony won with 13.37 points and in the last minute the local favorite Jean Carlos “Oli” Gonzalez managed to get a place in the Final earning 10.80 tying Chile’s Guillermo Satt (10.80) and defeating Argentina’s Leandro Usuna (9.97). Oli advanced to the final because he had the highest single wave score.

To finish the event, the Men’s Final featured Shaun Joubert (RSA), Cristobal de Col (PER), Russell Moloney (AUS) and the local hero, Gonzales. The South African, in the first minutes of the heat took the lead earning an impressive 9.33 points. He then backed it up 8.33 solidifying his lead. The Panamanian was the only one within reach, but was unable to find the right wave to get the necessary score to move up to first place.

In the end, Joubert (RSA, 17.66) earned the Gold Medal, Gonzalez (PAN, 14.90) earned the Silver Medal, Cristobal de Col (PER, 12.93) earned the Bronze Medal and Russell Molony (AUS, 6.93) earned the Copper Medal. “I really enjoyed the waves in Panama, we had amazing waves all the event,” said the Gold Medalist Shaun Joubert. “It’s nice to come as a team and actually be at the beach cheering the other guys and you want your team to do well. It’s fun to see all the flags and people from other countries; it’s a special event.”

The local, “Oli,” made history by being the first Panamanian to win a medal in the ISA World Surfing Games. When the surfing competition concluded, the Closing Ceremony took place to officially close the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games and award the team trophies and individual medals.

About the International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running the Open Division World Championship since 1964, the World Junior Surfing Championship since 1980, the World Masters Surfing Championship since 2007, the World Bodyboard Championship since 2011, the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival in China, and the World Standup Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship beginning in 2012. The ISA also sanctions the World Kneeboard Titles and the World Tandem Surfing Championship, and will launch the World Longboard Championship in 2013. ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 73 countries on five continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (Argentina), first elected President in 1994 in Rio de Janeiro and re-elected seven times since. The ISA’s four Vice-Presidents are Alan Atkins (AUS), Karín Sierralta (PER), Debbie Beacham (USA) and Layne Beachley (AUS).